Editor’s note: We are privileged to have Chika Uwazie, a human resources specialist, contribute to the Jobberman Blog. More about her at the end of the article. Enjoy!

Do you know that the average person changes careers four times in their lives? Have you ever sat down and wondered if you were on the right career path? Not the career path your parents told you to do, or the one you chose because everyone was going into the field. I mean the career path that will give you fulfillment, satisfaction, and challenges.

Many people make the mistake of choosing a career because they see wealth, but do not realize that in all actuality you are doing yourself a disservice. Picking a career because it will make you good money does not necessarily mean you will excel in it or you will be happy. There are some who dread going to work every day and it is clear in their actions. They are slow to respond to given assignments, always picking a fight with people at work, and sometimes even go as far as taking out their unhappiness at work out on their families.

Then, there are people who loved their careers, but somehow along the way they realized they passion was gone. Lastly, there are people that are just confused and jump from one career to the next. They are not sure where they belong, and are just trying to get by.
If you have ever been on one of those categories, you are probably wondering, how to get out of the cycle? How do you find the career path that will suit your personal goals?

There are many ways to go about this, but here are a few steps you should consider when choosing a career path.


Observe what areas you excel well in school, and also look into courses that you look forward to reading about. These indicators will help you guide your career choice. You can take this time to talk to professors that teach these courses about your career aspirations, and get some sound advice. Now, Here is a caution. Just because you excel in a certain subject does not mean it is the right career path for you. It is only one of the numerous factors you have to consider.
Do a paid/unpaid internship . This is one of the best ways to figure out what you like and do not like. After my first internship with a major company, I realized working in the retail industry was not for me. The earlier you place yourself in internships, the better. If you are much older, contract work can supplement for internship experience. Nothing is better than doing a short-term project that will shed light on your career interests.
Take a personality test like Myer Briggs. Through Myer Briggs, you can learn about your personality and what career choices will complement it. After taking a test I realized I was ENFJ, which indicates people who like working with people. Go figure. I now work in human resources.
Lastly, take some time to reflect on your career goals. Maybe you don’t want to be rich but want to become a humanitarian and save the world. Maybe you want to get out of the rat race of 9 to 5 and go into your own business. Whatever your passion is, it will take time to sort it out. Do not stress yourself on what your friends are doing. Not everyone has to go into the banking and oil sector. There are plenty of undiscovered sectors in Nigeria waiting for people to lead the wave of change.What is your passion? Do you think you are on the right career path?
PS: “Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.”- Buddha

Chika Uwazie is a human resource professional with experience in recruiting, human capital management, and organizational development. Chika is currently a recruiting project associate at the American Institutes for Research where she leads recruiting on social media platforms and conducts data analysis for recruitment metrics. Chika runs a blog called the Naija Careerist, which gives career advice to young Nigerians. Follow her on : Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ChikaUwazie; Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChikaUwazie; Website: http://naijacareerist.com/

Original Source: http://blog./jobs-in-nigeria/2012/03/how-to-find-your-career-path/